Take Back the Night: The Hunter Chronicles Vol 1
by Puppy Master
Summary: Three hunters struggle to save a young woman from a powerful and enigmatic foe. The final rewrite is well under way and Chapters 5 and 6 are up. Please R&R!
1. Prologue

Prologue 

Prologue 

"There are monsters in this world. Not the ones you're probably thinking about. I'm referring to creatures far worse than Bin Laden, Dahmer or Manson could ever be. Yes, monsters that you only thought existed in comics, movies and other works of fiction. I'm talking vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts and more that even I don't know of, things you couldn't begin to comprehend live side-by-side with regular people. And it's been that way for as long as the human race has existed. 

The average human psyche cannot understand the realism if things that should not be, so it shuts them out. Over time we've become blind; unable to see how our lives were being manipulated, making us unknowing pawns in their eternal struggles of power, lust, and greed. 

Some of us have been marked or chosen to make a stand. We've been forced to forsake our very lives and beliefs to fight for those who would imprison or incarcerate us if our purpose was revealed. We're cursed to a life void of everything we've ever loved and cherished. Some feel we are the damned who hunt the damned. Regardless, it's time to take back the night… Come get some." 

- D.R. 

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	2. Chapter 1 Ambush & Tiye

The rain battered down in a relentless torrent, crashing against the roof of the Grand Am as it sat in the narrow alley. The car's high beams sliced through the frigid night bathing the pale creature against the wall in a brilliant, yellow light. With a low, nearly animalistic hiss the creature flung the lifeless body of the young girl it had been feeding upon to the pavement and faced the vehicle.

"Stay back!" It snarled, blood dribbling down its chin.

The doors of the Pontiac slowly opened and two men got out. The driver, a tall lean figure clad in a full-length leather coat crossed his arms, his dark blue eyes locked on the crimson drenched creature. The rain almost instantly soaked his black hair, causing the shoulder-length locks to stick to the sides of his face. The other, a short, stocky man in his mid-fifties held a large pistol in his right hand.

"This isn't where you want to be right now." The barely human looking thing growled over the sound of the rain. Its feet shuffled, moving backwards deeper into the alley.

The shorter of the two men shook his head, a tired, yet angered expression showing plainly in his gray eyes"This isn't where you want to be." He lifted the gun before adding,

"Bitch."

The black gun roared as it sent a .45 round screaming toward the creature. The bullet slammed into the monster's forehead causing a thick, dark red blood splatter on the wall behind it.

"I will tear the limbs from your body like the wings of a fly!" The now inhuman beast snarled, the force of the bullet knocking it into the bricks.

"Yeah, yeah." The taller man mumbled, reaching both hands into his coat, "We've heard it all before." He drew a pair of .45 handguns from their holsters under his arms and opened fire.

The weapons thundered their responses, the sound echoing through the narrow alley. Despite the intense gunfire, despite the pounding rain, despite the blood spilling onto the wet concrete, it threw its head back and started to laugh, a deep rumbling laugh which ceased the one-sided firefight.

"Your mortal weapons cannot hope to harm me. I've fought the most powerful of my kind and won. I've stared down entire armies who couldn't touch me." It lowered its sickening yellow eyes to them, "Countless opponents much stronger than yourselves have met their demise at my hands." Its long, bony fingers balled into fists as it started toward the two men again, "Prepare to die."

The men stood firm. The tall one shook his head, "You know," He said, tucking his guns back into their holsters, "There is just one thing we forgot." His words caused the creature to stop and tilt its head curiously.

On cue the lid of a nearby dumpster clanged open and another man sprang up, a shotgun held in both hands. He raised the weapon to his shoulder, "Over here fuck face." He sneered. The huge gun discharged. The creature's face exploded, smattering the alley wall in red ichor. The vampire jerked backward and slammed into the bricks behind him.

"Marcus, I thought you'd fallen asleep." The taller man tucked his guns away as Marcus leapt from the dumpster, cocking the shotgun as he quickly moved towards the convulsing body laying on the ground.

"I did." Marcus grinned, a low, dark chuckle escaping from his throat. He stood over the body, pressing the barrel of the shotgun to the creature's chest and pulled the trigger.

The old man jumped, "Dammit Marcus!" He shouted, "Do you have to do that?" He wrapped his coat tightly around his body and shuffled to the car.

"Relax Marvin." Marcus waved a hand apathetically at the old man, "Dexter, do it so we can get outta here." Dexter nodded, pulling a slim can of lighter fluid from his pants pocket.

Moments later the Grand Am slowly pulled out into the street, leaving the rain to wash away the smoking ashes.

-

Tiye sat at the edge of her bed, feet hanging over, just barely touching the thick carpet. Her head was down, her eyes closed. _That dream again_, she thought, trying to shake the image of that awful, pale figure entering her room. She shivered slightly at the chilly breeze coming through the open window near her bed. She looked up at it for a long moment before she pushed off the bed and carefully pulled it down and closed the latch, locking it into place. She stared out into the dark of night for a while before sighing heavily and making her way back to bed. She pulled the thick, blue comforter up to her chin and sighed again, closing her eyes and hoping she could get at least a bit more sleep before work. As she began to slip into a fitful slumber, the latch slowly opened and the window silently slid upward.


	3. Chapter 2 The Day After

The first few morning rays began creeping through the window of an old, rundown cottage just outside Miami, Florida. The beams slithered across the floor and found a resting place in Marvin's face. The old man lay curled around a large rifle under the kitchen table. The cabin was barely furnished. Marcus was sprawled out on the couch, a thin flannel blanket draped over him.

Marvin stirred first. He jerked up, cracking his head sharply against the table with a yelp and causing Marcus to shoot up and promptly tumble off the couch onto the floor. Marvin slowly crawled out and stood, rubbing his throbbing head while Marcus bolted upright, a Desert Eagle .50 raised towards the kitchen. The big metallic gun lowered as Marvin shuffled in.

"What the hell was that?" Marcus' mumble was nearly inaudible.

"Nothing." Marvin said dryly, moving past Marcus and towards the front door. He pushed open the door and stepped out into the chilly morning. He exhaled a bit, watching the fog of his breath roll out into the cold January air. With a huff he walked down the shaky steps leading to the house and harshly kicked the bumper of the Jeep which sat close by. The vehicle rocked lightly and the shrill alarm went off, echoing through the trees. Dexter had been asleep, laying across the back seat of the SUV, two nickel plated .45 handguns on the floor. At the sound of the alarm he rolled off the seat, scooping up both of the weapons and aimed them towards the window.

"C'mon!" Marvin shouted over the alarm, "We've got shit to do." Dexter blinked a couple times and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before pulling himself up and unlocking the Jeep's door. He pressed a small button on his key chain and the alarm fell silent.

"What fuckin' time is it?" Dexter yawned, tucking the gun into his shoulder holster while reaching into the truck to get his coat.

"Early enough." Marvin muttered, already going up the steps.

"You remember what time we got back in town last night?" Dexter followed, pulling on his coat.

"Yes."

"You realize it's only been about three house since that time?" Dexter stopped long enough for Marvin to open the door and enter.

"Yes."

"Alright, you know I need my sleep. This wakin' up at the crack of dawn shit don't work for me." Dexter shut the door behind him as Marvin slowly turned to him.

"You know, Dexter, we just took down one of the most powerful vampires in the East Coast. The thing's got friends, friends that're gonna be damn pissed someone fragged him and they're going to come looking for whoever did it." His voice rose to a shout, "So it occurs to me that you not getting your beauty sleep is the least of my fucking problems" Marvin turned away and walked towards the kitchen, leaving Dexter alone.

-

She had done it again. Missed her alarm and now she was late for work. Tiye rushed through her apartment hurriedly trying to apply her makeup while slipping into her shoes. Her long, dark red hair was tied back in a neat, business-like tail and she wore a blue skirt-suit that (she hoped) showed off her figure and seemed to say imply her youth, without downplaying her professionalism.

She sighed as she leaned forward closer to the mirror in the bathroom to get a better look at the light red lipstick she had put on. She pursed her lips a bit and shrugged, "Eh, what the hell." She said aloud before her eyes caught something in the reflection. She slowly turned toward the doorway, which faced her bedroom.

"Please tell me you did that." She spoke aloud to Calista, her large white cat who lay on the bed. Tiye crossed the room to the open window, "I would have sworn I closed this." She murmured, pulling it down and locking it. She hesitated for a moment before realizing she was still late for work. She shooed Calista off the bed and grabbed her purse on her way out the door.


End file.
